1/16/11

This is Danica Magpantay, 17, this year's Philippine representative to the Ford Supermodel of the World competition.

When I first met Danica it was her first ever shoot, a test shoot that her mom (top make-up artist and former Supermodel of the World Philippines) Lala Flores had arranged, as a sort of "training", for her two daughters who were set to compete for the same title that she had won back in 1990. Lala kept begging me to "be kind" to her daughters since it was their first shoot. So I was surprised to see Danica working it on set. She was one of those, a natural. One week later, Danica won the competition. Mother-Daughter Supermodel of the Worlds lol.

Fast forward two months later, a week before she leaves for New York — I've since shot two editorials with her, one of which is out in Preview Magazine this month, which also happens to be her first editorial! — I get a call from stylist Patrick Galang, telling me that Danica's portfolio was too "made up" and that we must shoot more "natural" looking photos. Naturally (lol), I said yes! We were planning to do just a few simple headshots, but good thing my loot from the Alexander Wang online store just came in, just basic, easy pieces, which were perfect for the shoot. One of the few instances where my online shopping addiction was put to good use. LOL.